January 12, 2011

Raves and legends

I have been slacking off on working out lately. Nevertheless, I love how toned my stomach looks from Tae Kwon Do. Over the weekend I discovered my favorite TV show next to Mad Men is Merlin seasons 1,2 and 3. The producer took a big risk with cast Guinevere as a black woman (or bi-racial). I was not sure if she was black or Indian–but looking at her last name it appears she may be bi-racial (white/black). Also, Merlin is a young man instead of an elderly wizard. It is like a prequel to the classic King Arthur myths and legends…and I love it! I cannot wait until season 4. It is an antidote to the trash reality tv that I have been watching regularly.

I love my Clarisonic skincare brush! I look nearly 10 years younger. Believe the hype about this brush. I would send one to my sister if it did not cost $195. The brush pays for itself–no more facials and I may never need a peel again. I cannot believe how big my pores were until the brush dug deep and cleaned them up. When you are cleaning your face, it seems like it isn’t doing anything. However, after rinsing your face and seeing the residue, the results are nearly instantaneous. I am a true believer.

Not necessarily a rave, but discovered something really interesting about my family’s past in Jamaica. About two weeks ago, I ran into someone who shared my last name in a meeting. He actually did a double-take, since I am black and he is white. He then was like we must be related…of course I laughed knowing that my roots are in Jamaica. I was talking to my dad and told him that he seemed kind of annoyed that I didn’t take him seriously. My dad said that my mother was really happy with his name when she married him. Even though I had always liked the family name since it is unique and has an interesting story of my grandfather, I never paid attention to my grandmother’s side. It turns out that her name is tied to a very prominent plantation holder in Jamaica (not necessarily cause to jump for joy). Jamaica is like Louisiana in that there are a lot of creoles who actually had land given to them. We have around 18 acres or more of that land in Jamaica to this day. My dad would occasionally refer to it in the past, especially since we use to make a pilgrimage there when I was little. My favorite aunt who is the oldest and the only one out of six brothers was raised by my grandparents. It is apparent to me that she had a wealthier upbringing compared to my uncles/dad. I also have cousins who are very light-skinned…nearly white. I also found out that the name is related to a very famous English poetess. Like my father said, “Jamaica has a very complicated history.” I would love to do a documentary a la “Roots.” I had a great uncle who emigrated to Cuba , my grandfather worked on the Panama canal and etc… I was very impressed to see one of my cousins do a family newsletter. One day, I would like to do research and document my findings whether through film or writing.